, 1887-08-21

AGE y ho "lAh u lNhISN III
can women.
Courtship and marriage are attended
universally with an espionage repugnant
to our ideas of these matters, but strange
and even barbaric as some of their fea-
lures may seem, the barbara peculiarities
and experiences are before or at marriage,
and never after, in a permanent and tor
turous home hell, as in civilized sOcI-
ETY.. And that is where the Gypsy has
again a m~easureless advantage over his
Christian critics. Gypsy boys and girls
are permitted from childhood
THE UTMOST FREEDOM OF COMPANION
in everyday life; but in this freedom the
parent or some other responsible person
is ever a friendly and kindly presence.
American mothers CAD off to the prayer
meeting or the society affair and leave
their l4-year old daughters to the tender
mercies of any polite roue happening
that way, God is very good to America,
considering. He is better to the Gipsies,
or at least it would seem so. They have
no bagnios and asylums filed with their
daughters; and hence no missions and re-
formatories where the mothers of
lost daughters can figure in the
Sunday papers on committees
and directories. There is no
escaping this surveillance and apparently
no disposition to. The youth and the
maid through this constant rational com
panionship know the best and worst of
each other, and if love possesses them,
It's contamination in marriage is not, as
in many instances with us, the beginning
of an awakening from a series of false
| GnRInl nrntnnEng mnra criminal IN fhnIr
results upon lives tfan the worst hurts
upon society by petty criminals. The
same
REGARD FOL HEALTHY MATINGs
is preserved rigidly as in the breeding of
animals. and with like results. But as
all Gipsies are types of good health few
hearts are hurt on that count. Gypsy
lads have prevailing fancies for freckled
maidens, and the saying on this point is:
Every freckle a happy year The
marriage itself is almost an unreliable
ceremony-not the marriage by minister,
priest or magistrate, which these people
scrupulously observe in conformity TO the
customs of whatever country in which
they may be wandering, but the real and
only marriage which Gipsies will own
among themselves until the end of time.
From personal knowledge | know this
universally exists among American Clip
sizes to-day. The bride and groom are
formally married according to our laws,
but everyone present has a quiet smile of
contempt for this proceeding. Returned
to the camp, or the Gypsy town resort, if
it be in winter, when most marriages oc.
cur, the couple are taken into a dark
ened room alone.
THE IMMEDIATE RELATIVES
Of the couple now take possession OF
them and in utter silence prepare them
for the nuptial couch, to which they are
conducted. Here they remain for a time
during which every one present observes
complete and impressive silence. AT
length a spde Utfe, an old, old woman OF
the band, steals from the crowd and dis.
appears. / have seen Gypsy mothers
faint from horrible apprehension at this
moment. But of a sudden there is .
return, and what a Joyous one it is. In
the arms of the old bag who laughs and
croons and chatters frantically over hel
charge, the blushing wife, WhO has been
PrOUeR chdSte, is brought in triumph tC
her friends; and it would touch YOU
heart and bring the tears to your eyes,
were you not of stone, to recognize this
supremest good and its plain, honest,
c~estatic almost worship among this out
cast race. This is a signal for a grand
rush by the male Gipsies for the proud
husband who is brought back upon then
shoulders in a perfect whirlwind o.
demonstration and congratulation, when
the marriage merry-makings begin.
These are carried on unanimously fol
days. All Of which may be sneered at,
| hut p,r-IN L., ,.r,.,l--.l ,-,tl ..,EN l..
many. Gypsy merrlpet or lite, can hardly
pretentious about virtue. They posses;
1t is a singular fact that Gipsies do moi
mourn
THE OF THEIR YOUNG
as much as they love and cherish the
living, On one occasion where a banC
had buried a little child in a camp where
| was visiting, hardly had the evening
come before the j%olliest of merry-making.
was begun. The mourning family wert
especially made comfortable, and plieC
with enlivening liquor until long after
midnight. | discovered that the Gipsy's
thought on all these matters was one o.
pure philosophy.
'Tak'n young, the sweet dearie
'Fends the road, a a-weary."-
that. is, "a. dead. child is beyond trouble.
and no labor or effort is spared on the
part of friends to emphasize this idea anC
turn the matter to some pleasurable &C
count, 1t also holds good on the death
of the elder Gipsies, though in a LESSEE
degree. While | have never been able
even through the most careful inquiry anC
observation, to discover in any Gypsy
ever knew a definite faith in a future ex
i~stence, or the possible reunion of kin, o.
the good, after death, a Gypsy who hai
been an honor to his kind is buried witt
great ceremony. 1t is not intrequent tina
his entire portable effects are burned at o
near his grave. Hits better that they
be wi him; ''or 'Owsumdever mout in
be wi out naught but is 'ands crossed
are about all hat can be got for the closes
questioning. There is in it all, however
a ridiculous and grim Difference to posi-
bilities.
But as little impression as death among
relatives or friends seems to have upor
them, there is found a curious exception
in favor of the horse. To the Gypsy
THE HORSE Is II IDOL.
The husband or the wife is the help
meet and is loved and cherished. Blu